Ren and I: Are Those Cats?
by Quicksilver1996
Summary: The second story of Zelkova after 'Crow and I: Fun Park Hysteria' in this story, Zelkova met Ren inside the hotel. Zelkova was happy to find another survivor, and someone to talk to. She and Ren became friends, and Zelkova is not scared with cats anymore.


AU: : I do not own Fragile Dreams and any of the characters, except for this fic and my OC.

**Ren and I: Are Those Cats?**

The hotel is quiet lovely; it's bright outside and warm. The birds are chirping making a lovely melody. But inside the hotel, it's dark, scary, and full of plant's roots. Never judge a hotel from its outside now.

The entrance of the hotel is blocked by wood planks, nailed to the wall, I tried to pull it but it's useless, it won't even budge.

"Can't get in," I gave up and caught my breath, "There must be another way to go in," I said and looked around. I walked along the hotel, and found a door that happened to be opened.

I walked inside the hotel and turned on my flash light, actually it is not so bad. It's quite lightened up, and warm. There are still chairs and tables, though most of them are covered with mold.

I walked further, and it's gone darker and colder. I climbed up the stairs, and there are closed stores. I shine my flashlight to every signs I can make out, I stared at each stores with awe.

I found stairs not far from where I was standing, I climbed it up and found myself in a place with so many doors, I walked toward and shine at the doors "Whoa! What with these doors? Where do they lead to?" I said in awe. I kept walking without looking where I step, I bumped into a tree roots.

"Ouch…" I rubbed my head, I opened my eyes and on the floor I found some scribbling of… it looks like a cat, but I think it's a koala or something with four legs and whiskers.

"Koalas?" I whispered to myself, I observed the picture more carefully "Or… kangaroos?"

Then I heard footsteps, I looked back and I found no one. "I must be hearing things, there's no such thing as ghosts," I said to myself, panicking.

I stood up and cleaned my hands, "Well then, let's explore some more," I turned around and before me stood a girl with short silver hair. I was shocked, I tripped over the root, fell backward, and I don't know what happened next.

_It was dark, the only light I could see is a few meters in front of me, I approached it, every step were heavy as if something holding back my legs. I tried my best to get near it, but as I got nearer the light gone dimmed, dimmer, and it's gone. I'm alone in the dark, all alone._

I woke with a start, looking at the ceiling, most of it covered with moss, and some are covered with roots. I felt warmth around me, and I just realized I was on a bed in a small room.

"You're awake?" someone asked.

There I found a girl, with silver hair beside me, she was wearing a hospital's dress, the color is cobalt blue, and on her hair there's a flower. Lotus flower, probably.

I looked at her, "…Uh, yes. I am awake now,"

She smiled, "Glad to hear that," she walked toward the window, and sat near it. She looked outside and started to sing.

Her voice was fair, it's soothing to hear, and then she stopped singing. She looked at me, "You're name?"

Still with her voice on my head, she asked me twice "You're name, please?"

"Ah, oh… my name is… my name is Zelkova,"

"Zelkova?" she repeated.

I nodded my head, "Yes, Zelkova,"

She tilted her head, "Isn't it a little bit too long," she said. "Uh—I guess it is," I said.

She smiled at me, "Maybe I can call you—Zel," she said.

"Zel?" I asked her. "Yeah, a short name for Zelkova, the first three letters," she smiled at me. "Zel," I repeated, she nodded her head "Yes, Zel,"

"Nice—thanks," I thanked her. "Sure," she replied.

I looked at her, she has red eyes, and near to her there are crayons lying around the floor. "Uh—your name?" I asked her.

She looked at me, "My name is, Ren" she smiled.

"Ren?" I repeated.

She nodded her head, "Yes, Ren,"

"That's short,"

Then we both laughed.

I watched Ren as she drew some doodles on the walls; she changed the color from blue to green to red and to black. She drew the same animals I saw on the floor, the four legged animals with whiskers.

I enjoyed watching her drawing, "What are you drawing anyway?" I asked. Ren took the blue crayon, "Cats," she answered.

"Cats?" I repeated, and she nodded her head. I studied the doodles closely; well they do look like cats.

"You like cats?" I asked her and took the green crayon.

Ren looked at me, "Yeah, I love cats," she said "Do you want to try to draw?"

"No, I can't draw," I said "But I can write," Ren grabbed my hand and set me next to her, "Well if you can write, then you have to try to draw,"

I looked at her, she was drawing some more cats, "Maybe—I'll try," I placed my hand on the wall and started drawing.

I decided to draw cats too, since I'm not very creative.

The results are Ren's drawings are much cat like and mine's are much rock like. "It looks like a rock with ears, whiskers, and tail," I sighed.

"But its still cat, isn't it?" she asked me.

I nodded my head, and I heard something mewed. I looked toward the window, and saw a white cat.

Ren's face brightened up, "Ah, Shiro," she walked approached the cat and hugged it. "Where have you been?" she asked the cat.

I smiled at her reactions toward the cat; she spun while hugging the cat even jumped while hugging the cat.

She noticed me, "Ah, Zel. Do you want to try to hug Shiro?" she asked.

I shook my head, "No, no thank you. I'm not good around cats… they hate me," I said, I looked down at my shoes "When I was a little kid, a cat came and approached me. I was excited and tried to stroke its head, but when my hand got near it the cat bit me,"

I looked up at her, "From that moment, I was afraid of cats," Ren looked at me with full of concern.

"But that doesn't mean I detest them," I said "I just… dislike them,"

Ren was smiling and she placed the cat down, "I don't think, cats hate you," she said. Shiro walked toward me, and he circled around me. I looked down at Shiro and it mewed and strokes his body against my legs.

"Shiro likes you, you're a kind person," Ren said.

I don't know what happened to me but I started to cry, tears dropped from my eyes, my vision began to blur, I rubbed my eyes while muttering "Thank you—thank you, thank you," I sobbed "Thank you Ren, thank you Shiro, thank you very much,"

I fell down on my knees and covered my face with my palms and started to cry louder, I am such a drama queen.

It was night time when we walked outside the hotel, when we walked Ren was singing. Again I was carried away by her voice. I looked up to the sky and the stars are twinkling, and the big round silver moon shone brightly.

"The moon," I said, "It's beautiful,"

Ren stopped singing, "Yes, it is," she answered and started to sing again.

When we walked further, we heard some mews of cat. We ceased, then behind the grass an orange cat with dark brown stripes stepped out. It looked at us and mewed.

"Ah! Mikan!" Ren said with excitement, Mikan the cat sat and mewed. Ren walked toward Mikan and stroke her (Mikan) head. The cat purred as Ren did it.

"There, there," said Ren gently.

I watched her as she stroke Mikan, the cat seemed nice when she did that. "Uh, Ren," I called her.

She turned around and looked at me, "Yes Zel?"

I bit my lower lip, "Can I try?" I asked her, she looked confused for a moment, "I mean—can I try to stroke Mikan?"

Her face brightened up, "Sure you can Zel," she lifted Mikan and walked toward me. She jerked Mikan forward and that's the cue for me to stroke Mikan's head.

Mikan mewed; I lifted my hand it was trembling, Ren smiled at me when I looked at her, I nodded my head, and slowly I touched Mikan's head. When I touched her head, I stroke her head; at first Mikan's reaction was nothing, and then it purred.

I smiled brightly, "Ren! It—she doesn't bite," I looked at her cheerfully, she smiled at me "I told you, the cats like you because you're a kind person,"

She let me hug Mikan, I did and she doesn't bite. Mikan's fur was as soft as the clouds, her eyes are bright as the stars, and her paws are small, cute yet easy to break.

Ren smiled as I stroke the cat, I looked at her and smiled too. "You're a kind person too, Ren," I said.

She was stunned for a while but a smile crept to her face, "Thank you… Zel,"

The next day was bright, as I woke up I walked toward the window, I opened it and the morning air felt great. "What a warm day!" I stretched my hands to the air. I walked inside the room and found Ren still sleeping on her bed.

She had kicked her blanket and it fell to the ground, I took it and placed it on her. She was sleeping peacefully as if she's dead… _dead?_

Panic started to crept around me, _"What if she's dead? I—I'll be alone again!" _I screamed inside my brain. I jerked my hands and shook Ren, "Ren! Wake up please!" I shouted no reactions. I shook her again still no reactions. Hopes started to melt away from me, I placed her slowly on the bed, tears started to drop from my face "That's it… I'm alone—again," I sunk my face on my palms. I cried…

Then I felt a gentle pat on my head, I looked up and it's Ren. "Why are you crying, Zel?"

My vision began to blur, "You're alive, and you're still alive! I thought—I thought," I sobbed, Ren tilted her head, "Huh?"

My voice broke and I started to cry again, "I'm so glad that you're still alive," I sunk my head on the bed.

Self correction: Don't cry too much it's bad for my heart. We decided to star gazing on the roof of the hotel; I could see the fun park from here. Then I heard her singing again, she always sang each time the moon is shown.

"Are you singing for the moon?" I asked her. She nodded her head while singing, "Can the moon hear you?" I asked her again. She doesn't answer; I guess that question is not worth answering. I looked up to the sky and the moon is round and silver.

Then something rang between the bushes, both of us were shocked. I shine my flashlight to the bushes, it's still ringing. We approached it and Ren picked it up. It's a hand phone.

"What's this," she tilted her head. "You don't know what that is?"

She shook her head, I took the phone from her hand "This is a hand phone," I said "It's used to call people who are far away,"

I pushed some buttons on the phone and a message shown, "Can it call the moon?" Ren asked. I shrugged, "Well, if there's someone on the moon maybe you can,"

I opened the message, and it's for Ren. "Ren," I called her "There's a message here for you, from someone named… Shin," I turned around to look at her, "It says 'Go back here quickly',"

For a moment she looked scared, "I need—to go," she walked back inside the hotel, "Ah, Ren wait!" I followed her.

When we reached the entrance of the hotel I saw Ren standing near a sewer, I stopped where she was; I caught my breath "Where are you going?"

She looked at me from the corner of her eyes, "Somewhere," she squatted to open the lid, as she opened it she's ready to go.

"Before you go," I said, she looked at me "Why don't we be—friends?"

"Friend?"

"Yeah, a friend is someone who'll company you, so you won't be alone," I explained, "And friends give a gift to each other," I reached my pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

I handed Ren the paper, "Here, I drew something—I worked hard on it," I smiled.

She opened the paper and a smile crept to her face, "But I don't have anything in return," she said.

"No need," I said "As long as we become friends, it's a gift for me already,"

She smiled, "But! We don't have to kiss," I said.

Ren knitted her brows, "Kiss? Friends… kiss?"

I shrugged, "Well my friend in the fun park told me so," I said "But we're both girls, so it'll be really bizarre if we do so," she nodded her head.

"So what should we do to know that we're friends, beside a kiss?" she asked.

I shrugged, "Sorry, but I don't know other than that," I said "Maybe… a good bye to you're leaving is enough,"

She nodded her head, after some good bye, I'm all alone again. I decided to go back to the fun park.

As I reached the fun park I saw Crow by the Ferris wheel, "Crow!" I called him, he turned around and said "Come to be fooled again, Zelkova?"

I shook my head, "No… I came here because, I'm lonely that's all," I said "And tired,"

We talked for a while, and then I left him I headed to the grassy field where all the giant tea cups are there. I went inside to the tea cup, put off my clock, turned off my flash light, and I lay back gazing to the rusted out ceiling.

I remembered, when I noticed that I'm all alone, what I did first is stepped outside the house. I looked around and everything seemed to be… forgotten. They left with no trace, they left as if nothing was left behind, but there is something they left behind, they are… memories.

I slowly closed my eyes, and then I drifted off to sleep. I heard some screams, foot step, and someone hitting something. But I can't seem to open my eyes, I'm just exhausted.

**THE END of REN AND I: ARE THOSE CATS?**


End file.
